Emissions Testing and Mitigation from the First Malaysian Refuse Derived Fuel Pilot Plant

摘要

The conversion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) has been seen as a viable solution to the waste management problem in Malaysia. The process is able to reduce the moisture content from about 70 % to about 25%. Early findings indicated that the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) content in the flue gas were high, which were mainly released during the drying process. About 50 compounds were detected and 45% of the compounds were acidic in nature. The VOC, besides coming from the waste itself, was also due to the deodorant, sprayed to combat odor and from the diesel burning for generating hot air. The concentrations of other compounds such as toluene, xylene and heptane, which are precursors to photochemical ozone formation, were also studied. However, when compared against local environmental laws, which governs a waste to energy plant, the regulations are more focused towards arresting pollutants that are formed during combustion processes, which are completely different from gasses that are emitted during a drying process. This scenario is the same with most environmental laws worldwide. From this study, it is envisage that a concentrated effort is needed in order to establish environmental regulations that are more suitable for drying processes.